Wednesday June 18, 2025 | KANANASKIS, AB [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“At this moment we must turn the many challenges into change,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney as he began his remarks at the end of the G7 Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday evening.
The G7 meetings were held over three days — June 15 to 17 — at Kananaskis, Alberta in a remote picturesque setting in the Rocky Mountains.
There were a few unexpected turn of events during this G7, most notably the early departure of both US President Donald Trump and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy — both due to wanting to manage wars closer to their base of operations. Leaders who had hoped for a one-on-one with Trump were left unsatisfied.
Trump went back to Washington to deal with the Iran-Israel crisis and Zelenskyy skipped doing some events in Calgary so he could head back to Kyiv where bombing by Russia had occurred the night before.
Report instead of communique:
The mainstream media made a big deal about there not being the standard/traditional communique that all G7 (or in the past G8) leaders would sign to show their agreement.
Times change. And these are changing times. This time the host — Canada’s prime minister who chaired the summit — issued a Chair’s Summary.
The report is the view of the Chair, and relieves any of the other leaders from having to say that they align or concur with aspects of it.
G7 nations in the past three agreed to move forward in cooperation on several shared priorities, Carney outlined in remarks to media after the summit wrapped up.
The G7 leaders agreed on many things over the three days of the summit including critical mineral supply, adapting and powering AI, quantum technologies, wildfires, foreign interference, and dealing with transnational suppression.
“While our threats cross borders, so do our partnerships and opportunities. In these areas of common interest, Canada is leading G7 co-operation to deliver stability, security, and prosperity,” it was stated in the final G7 statement from Carney’s office on Tuesday.
Also see:
Partnerships and collaboration:
A key theme at the G7 for Carney was partnerships and collaboration. Carney smoothed over a lot of rankled political feelings to invite India’s prime minister Narendra Modi (who was accused by former Prime minister Trudeau of the Indian government being behind the killing of an Indian Canadian citizen in Canada) and also Zelenskky given the strife over continued long-term funding for the war effort in Ukraine.
“Canada’s readiness to work to create new international partnerships” will lead to a more secure, prosperous, just and free world, Carney outlined. He wants Canada to align with what he called “stable democracies”.
“We look to lead with many of the resources including human resources and capital,” said Carney. He highlighted critical metals and minerals and hopes to see a stockpile of those developed as part of national security and shared prosperity.
Carney said that Canada has a unique opportunity to become an energy superpower.
International systems:
Canada will also be taking action to build stronger economies and international systems:
- $391.3 million to catalyze private capital toward economic growth and development projects around the world.
- Up to $185.6 million to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of artificial intelligence.
- $120.4 million to global wildfire prevention, response, and recovery.
- $80.3 million to build reliable critical minerals supply chains.
- $22.5 million to accelerate the development and use of quantum technologies.
- Up to $544 million in guarantees for new development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Supporting Ukraine:
Freedom, democracy and justice are behind Canada’s support of a free and sovereign Ukraine. Ukraine will be supported by:
- Sanctions on individuals, entities, and vessels that continue to support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
- An additional $2 billion in military assistance this year.
- The disbursement of a $2.3 billion loan to Ukraine through the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans mechanism.
- The allocation of $57.4 million in security-related assistance.
On the security front, Carney stated that “our geography is less and less of a shield”. Canada has already aligned with Australia to use their ‘over the horizon radar scheme’ for the Canadian arctic, Carney pointed out. “Partnering with the Americans would make sense… as we already do with NORAD,” said Carney.
Areas of cooperation:
This year’s G7 deepened co-operation with joint statements in the following areas, as released by the Prime Minister’s office on June 17, 2025:
- Securing critical minerals supply chains
- Adopting, powering, and sharing artificial intelligence
- Collaborating on quantum innovation
- Preventing, fighting, and recovering from wildfires
- Countering foreign interference, including transnational repression
- Fighting transnational crime, such as migrant smuggling
On the matter of Trump:
At the G7 on Monday, US President Trump said a deal with Canada could be essentially quick and easy. He said it could be done within a month, and so now July 16 goes on the political calendar as a date to expect some results around the current trade war that the US has imposed on Canada.
Why 30 days? “A form of deadline is helpful to concentrate the mind,” said Carney. It sounds like he may have been the one to have suggested a 30-day time frame to Trump.
Modi at the G7:
Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Modi during the G7 in Alberta this week. Carney pointed out to media that Modi has attended every G7 since 2018.
Given the “size and dynamism” of Indian economy, it only makes sense to move forward in diplomacy and economic relations with India. Carney said it was “entirely natural and consistent that he attend”.
What comes next:
“In Kananaskis, Canada’s Presidency showed that we’re ready to create new international partnerships, deepen alliances, and lead member nations into a new era of global co-operation. Canada has the resources the world wants and the values to which others aspire. Canada is meeting this moment with purpose and strength.”
Next week the focus will shift to the Canada EU summit in Brussels on June 23 and the NATO summit on June 24 and 25 in the Netherlands.
The G7 in 2026 will be held at Evian in the French Alps, France.
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- Canada continues military funding to Ukraine but Zelenskyy departs G7 early after bombing in Kyiv (June 17, 2025)
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- Governor General Mary Simon to welcome Macron and Trump (June 15, 2025)
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